Plastic packaging, the lobby pressure behind the Brussels rules
An investigation by Politico taken from Mediapart and from Everyday occurrence he spoke in recent days about alleged excessive interference by lobbies in the European Parliament regarding the November vote in Strasbourg, on the much criticized issue packaging regulation, which risked, if approved as conceived by the Commission, bringing entire Italian production sectors to their knees. The 5 Star Movement eh Verdi they cried scandal and made an international impression. All this because, according to journalistic investigations, some Italian MEPs allowed themselves to be dictated to plastic and food lobbysome amendments on single-use and reuse, then passed to the EP vote.
Amendments which, it must be said, immediately seemed to have that reasonableness and balance that the infamous Green Deal the Timmermans seems to have forgotten. For months it has been said that we need to review the Green Deal and make it more reasonable and more attentive to the reasons of European businesses and citizens, in light of the geopolitical and economic situation that has occurred in the last two years. Instead, even on this point, some Italian politicians have seized the opportunity to carry this forward ideological fury which cannot go against the interests of citizens and businesses. Specifically, the thing appears even more bizarre, as underlined by the co-president of the ECR, Nicola Procacciniwho has always been very critical of the overly ideological politics of Green dealand who is also a member of the commission Envi. I am appalled by the declarations of some Grillini and Green MEPs who distance themselves from the sacrosanct defense of the national interest regarding the European regulation on packaging.
Among other things, citing incredible conspiracy reasons,” he said in a statement Procaccinithen adding how “For months and months everyone – underlines Procaccini – the parties, the Italian MEPs, the Italian institutions abroad, the government, the industry as a whole, the consumers have been fighting to prevent the massacre of a regulation on packaging that kills 30% of National GDPwhich resets the eco-sustainable technologieswhich mortifies the efforts of families in separate waste collection, and which brings the concept of circular economy on which Italy has become a model throughout Europe. Together – continues the MEP – we have held countless meetings and public conferences with all the stakeholders, rightly concerned about their own survival, in which colleagues from the Greens and the M5S”. In fact, it is not really clear where the scandal is that needs to be reported with a journalistic investigation.
It is common and legal practice to give voice to lobby who look after corporate interests on the measures being discussed in Brussels, always very attentive to the rules of transparency and conflicts of interest. The case caused the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, to open an internal investigation into the activity of the plastic lobbies after a report from the MEP of the 5 Star Movement Danzì. As is known, parliamentarians have an obligation to communicate meetings with stakeholders in full transparency, as explained by the Honorable Porcaccini, which seems to have happened in this case too.
Going into the specifics of the provision, the European Commission proposed, on 30 November 2022, a regulation to reduce the number of packaging placed on the market and encourage reuse. In the plenary session just held in Strasbourg, however, a large majority – 426 votes in favour, 125 against and 74 abstentions – approved a series of changes to this text.
There have been more than 500 amendments were presented and it took two and a half hours to get to the final grade. In the EU Commission’s plans, reuse should be encouraged more than recycling. Almost all Italian MEPs have gathered on a single position, in favor of some changes to the regulation that would allow all packaging materials to be recycled or reused, depending on the country where recycling and reuse activity is most developed . For Italy – one of the strongest countries from the point of view of recycling but less so on reuse – the topic is fundamental. And the amendment passed yesterday goes precisely in this direction: exemption from the rules on reuse is allowed for sectors that achieve at least 85% recycling. The amendments approved by a large majority were, according to almost all the subjects in the field, dictated by common sense and reasonableness, also from the point of view of sustainability.
But what is perhaps most saddening is that for once the Italian deputies, leaving aside partisan interests, stood out for their unity and cohesion, contributing to that team spirit, which has always belonged to other countries finally made a team, here comes criticism and distinction from other Italian MEPs. We will see if and how this will have a sequel, the fact remains that the 5 Stars have given the impression of wanting to return to their initial pupulist and ideological spirit which were the basis of their fleeting electoral success. But if this can also go well in Italy, in the game between the majority and the opposition, it would certainly be less convenient to bring it to Europe too, risking making a fool of the credibility of our country, often ridiculed in the past precisely because of the quarrels political theater interiors.
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